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Thanks Johnny!

Portugal here I come. Castelo Branco region. 2025

Hi everyone,

I hope this message finds you well. My name is Adje, and I’m a 55-year-old Dutch computer technician. In 1999, I made the bold decision to move to South America, specifically Colombia. Despite the warnings, I embraced the adventure. Now, 25 years later, after facing numerous challenges such as poverty, crime, and inadequate health services, I’ve reached a breaking point. The increasing gang activity has taken over my city, and my business has unfortunately collapsed. I’m in the process of selling my remaining belongings here.

For the past few months, I’ve been searching for a more stable country to call home. As a European citizen, I believe Portugal offers a promising opportunity for a fresh start. Returning to the Netherlands isn’t an option for me due to the climate, overcrowding, and significant drug issues.

Portugal is my first choice, with Spain as a potential alternative. I am fluent in Dutch, English, and Spanish, and I also have basic knowledge of German and French.

Why am I here? I need assistance in finding a place to stay for the first few months. I have no contacts in Portugal and am unsure whether to pursue freelance work or seek employment. If anyone can help me find an affordable, secure, and calm place to stay, I would be incredibly grateful. A small room would suffice, preferably in a warmer part of Portugal, but given my current situation, any improvement would be welcome. I am confident I will find my way eventually.

If you live in Portugal or have any contacts there, please do not hesitate to reach out. Your support could provide me with the opportunity to turn my life around.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Best regards,

Adje.

Hi @DutchTechGuy, Welcome.

If you work remotely:

I suggest the Alentejo , it's quiet, has a good climate, few people and is much cheaper than the Algarve. Why not stay in an AirBnB somewhere like Évora, Monsaraz, Marvão, Portalegre, etc... That region also has coastline and beaches, I suggest the part south of Sines, it's cheaper than between Comporta and Sines.

If you seek job in your skills:

You should try cities like Braga, Lisbon or Porto where there are more job opportunities.

In both cases, staying at an AirBnB, you can always search for the place that suits you best, meet new people, share information, etc....

There's also this vlog by Danes living in Portugal, they have lots of videos and tips about Portugal.

Best Regards

Hi,

My name is Paul, I live in Nigeria. I'm currently exploring getting a Digital Nomad visa as I freelance as a Graphic Designer. I am hoping to be able to apply before the end of this year so would appreciate all the help I can get.

Thanks guys!

@JohnnyPTAwesome JohnnyPT, I went ahead and investigated Braga. It seems to be a tech hub so that would indeed be the starting point of my search. I don't do remote work, I'm more of an electronics and hardware guy, with a bunch of software deployments to compliment that.So, you've helped me with my decision to move to Braga. Otherwise, I would have a rather hard time finding a job let's say in Viseu or even the Algarve. I've looked on the site and Braga is at 6th place when it comes to livability. AirBnB is new for me, hopefully it is not too expensive. Is it a good idea to get one before traveling? I'd rather go straight to an AirBnB than having to pay for a hotelroom. Cheers and thanks again for the orientation!

@DutchTechGuy,

You're welcome. Braga is a young city with history and many attractive sights. As an EU citizen you can stay wherever you want, you don't need a visa or to find accommodation before entering the country. 

But in high season, there are many tourists. It's best to look on the Internet for user reviews of those options you will find that seem most suitable for you and make a booking.

@joseph

Good day all, I am leaving in Africa, South Africa to be precisely. I am not in Portugal but planning to t move to Portugal on a Job seeker visa. I would appreciate all the the advices, assist and help regarding my situation as I do not know anyone in Portugal.

I am a qualified and licensed electrician with a years of experience.

@triomfelectrical

Hello and welcome !

I would suggest that you read the Portugal Guide and that you open a new thread on the Portugal forum to post your questions so that members can guide you.

All the best

Bhavna

Hi everyone, I'm an anthropologist and academic nomad, always living where I find research fellowship. Now I got one in Lisbon, so here I am!

Hi everyone - i have just posted about remote working for one of my employees - any support with tax advice and immigration laws would be appreciated as my employee holds refugee status. Thank you!

Hi all,

My name is Marcelo and I'm Portuguese. Grew up around Lisbon and moved to Tomar mid 2023 after living abroad for 10+ years. Happy to help with anything if you are considering moving to Tomar or surrounding areas or general questions about Portugal

@Julien Hi, thanks for having me here. I'm working from Ecuador 100% remotely, and now I am thinking of traveling somewhere in Europe. So far I've seen some destinations such as Portugal, Spain & Italy. My biggest concern is the accommodation, so any guidance and tips are appreciated.

Hi @Yoni8, Welcome.

You can stay in Portugal for up to 90 days without a visa. If you want to stay longer, you need to get a visa (D8 for digital nomads). As far as accommodation is concerned, there are short-term lodgings / AirBnB. There are many good ones and they vary in price and commodities available. Renting a house is usually for contracts of 1 year or more.

D8 visa

/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1006006

Regards

Hello all,

My Name is David and I am currently single and 53 y/o. I am hoping to retire early at 55 or 56, so I am starting to do my preliminary planning for a move overseas. Portugal has been high on my list for a long time and I hope to find a lot of useful information on these pages.

@sydneymukumbi

There are many Portuguese websites such as , and sapoempregos etc. Use Portuguese, not English to look for a job.

@JohnnyPT

The Portuguese government has a website in English explaining the different visas and how to apply etc. I would recommend this and not a forum. The link is as follows:

@preetiupal Try

Hello everyone and welcome !

Please note that the New Members thread is only meant for the introduction of new members.

To seek advice from members, it is better to open a new thread on the Portugal forum.

Regards

Bhavna

@Julien

I am hoping to learn how to prepare and move to the southern part of Portugal. I am a senior widow and wonder if there are any age restrictions to living in Portugal. I have retirement income that is adequate, but am also able to teach art activities. I am an art therapist who is a painter and miniaturist.

@bcweeart, Welcome.

Of course, there are no age restrictions. But given that you're alone, and probably don't understand Portuguese, I suggest you choose places where there are already English-speaking expats and English-speaking friendly businesses. You can then develop your teaching activities within these groups. Cities like Faro, Tavira, Lagos, Albufeira and Quarteira, for example, are english widely spoken. Tavira and Lagos are good choices to you.

Some facebook groups can be useful, links inside the following link (post #17):

How to build a social circle from scratch in Portugal

/forum/viewtopic.php?id=909130

Best Regards

Hi all,

We are now planning a trip to Portugal with the ultimate goal of establishing residence there. We are first planning now a 90-day visit there to scope out the various options for where to live.

Presently we live in Maricopa, Arizona just south of Phoenix. We are both retired (75 and 73) with two kids both grown and four Grandchildren. We are booth degreed, enjoy meeting and socializing.

Looking forward to all of the advice you folks can offer.

Mike Rastatter

Hi Everyone! 

I'm reposting here because I can't find where my original post went.  I'm looking to move to Portugal in 1-2 years.  Still exploring the regions.  Looking to connect with an expat community when there.  Can that be located through this forum?   Thanks!, Steve.

@mrastatter

Hi Mike, enjoyed reading your post.  My partner and I are looking to move to Portugal or Spain in 1-2 years.  We are going spring 2025 for 3-4 weeks starting at Valencia and working down to the Algarve then up through Portugal to Porto/Braga.  We are 60 and 61.  Are any of your kids or grandkids moving to PT also?

Hello!!

My name is Gina. I currently live in the USA, but I am looking around to see where to retire in a few years. I do not plan to work once I retire. I just want to enjoy life, travel and see some things and have a good life. I look forward to reading the helpful tips you guys can give.

@ginasmailnc,  Welcome.

You have some support here:

Experience sharing about Visas to Portugal (D7 & others)

/forum/viewtopic.p … 60#5334399

(Post #4 -  US)

Regards

Waal I wish to be there too

Hi,

I'm an exhausted physician, and my husband is a retired engineer. We're Americans,  heading to Portugal in late May for a 10-day scouting trip on the way to another long-planned trip to Svalbard (we booted our pre-cruise exploration of Norway to do it), as I've concluded that I can't face working until 67. I plan to retire in January 2026. Then, we'll get our home ready to rent out, pack up ourselves and our cats, and make the big move to Portugal if all goes according to plan. We are both good at languages and are already learning Portuguese. We're eager to start a new, slower-paced life with an emphasis on friends and community.

Gay

@Julien

hi

I am shinkuraj and I'm a software developer from India. I'm planning to move to Portugal and am excited to learn more about the country and its culture. I'd love to hear about your experiences in Portugal and any advice you might have for a newcomer. Looking forward to connecting with you!